Electrical connector for very thin sheet metal member



June 23, 1964 E. A. WEIMER, JR 3,138,658

ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR FOR VERY THIN SHEET METAL MEMBER Filed Sept. 27, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. EDGAR A. \IJEmERJR.

June 1964 a. A. WEIMER, JR 3,138,658

ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR FOR VERY THIN SHEET METAL MEMBER Filed Sept. 27, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 w H I1 INVENTOR. Wage EDG HR 6. WEMER JR. my )ffme av United States Patent 3,138,658 ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR FOR VERY THIN SHEET METAL MEMBER Edgar A. Weimer, Jr., Harrisburg, 'Pa., assiguor to AMP Incorporated, Harrisburg, Pa. Filed Sept. 27, 1961, Ser. No. 141,166 8 Claims. (Cl. 174-94) This application constitutes a continuation-impart of my previous application, Serial No. 857,158, filed December 3, 1959, now abandoned.

The extensive use of conductive foil or very thin sheet metal members (e.g., aluminum) as an electrical conductor for electronic and miniature components is complicated by the fact that it is difficult to join the foil to other electrical conductors. Because of the fragile nature of the foil, securing the foil to a wire or component tends to either tear the foil or to make an imperfect connection. It is an object of this invention to provide an electrical connector capable of being secured to conductive foil, or the like, which provides an electrical connection, is easily applied and has high tensile strength and excellent properties of electrical conductivity.

It is also an object of this invention to provide an electrical connecting device adapted to be secured to aluminum foil by wrapping it around the foil and pressing it into the foil. It is also an object of this invention to provide an electrical connecting device adapted to be secured to aluminum foil by wrapping or folding it over the foil and clamping it thereto so that tangs on one area of the device pierce the foil. vice operates as an anvil to deform the tangs after they have pierced the foil.

Other objects and attainments of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawings in which there is shown and described an illustrative embodiment of the invention; it is to be understood, however, that this embodiment is not intended to be exhaustive nor limiting of the invention but is given for purposes of illustration in order that others skilled in the art may fully understand the invention and the principles thereof and the manner of applying it in practical use so that they may modify it in various forms, each as may be best suited to the conditions of a particular use.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 illustrates a blank electrical connector shown in perspective and made according to the teaching of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 illustrating the connector applied to a length of foil intermediately the end of the foil; 7 1

FIGURE 3 is a view illustrating an electrical connector as applied to the end of the piece of conductive foil and illustrating its being connected to an electrical Wire;

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 3 showing the connector in its partially-opened position;

FIGURE 5 is a view of another embodiment similar to FIGURE 3 showing the connector, wire and foil in plan v1ew; v

FIGURE 6 is a view taken through plane 66 of FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 7 is another species of connector embodying the principles of this invention;

FIGURES 8 and 9 illustrate various ways in which conductors may be joined to the connector;

FIGURE 10 is a cross-sectional view of another species of connector embodying the principles of this invention; and

The opposing end of the de- I CC FIGURE 11 is a view of the device of FIGURE 10 applied to foil.

As shown in FIGURE 1, the connector includes a blade portion 10 and a ferrule-forming portion 12 at one end of the blade. The ferrule-forming portion is secured to the blade portion by a narrow, neck-like member 14. The blade portion may be considered to comprise two areas, each area having a plurality of pyramidal tangs or ears 16 formed about perforations 18. The outer surfaces of the tangs are substantially parallel to the axis of the aperture. The areas containing the tangs are separated by a medial portion which is imperforate. As shown in FIGURE 2, the blade is bent around the foil 20 in the imperforate area.

As shown in the drawings, the ferrule-forming portion 12 may be fashioned into a ferrule and brazed along the seam, or otherwise fashioned into a ferrule member. This ferrule will accommodate an electrical wire and may be crimped thereto to form an excellent electrical connection. The blade portion may be folded over a piece of conductive foil20, as shown in FIGURE 2, and pressed onto it to form a sandwich-like structure, with the foil disposed intermediately of the folded blade. Pressing the blade onto the foil causes the tangs to pierce the foil and are then deformed to secure the foil to the connector. The tangs are disposed so that none of the tangs tend to rupture the foil. The aggregate number of tangs builds up a strong connection between the. blade and the foil.

As shown in FIGURES 3 and 4, the ferrule-forming portion may be disposed laterally to the blade portion so that the axis of the wire coincides with the axis of the foil. Again the connector is secured to the foil and the wire in the same manner.

As shown in FIGURES 5 through 7, the relationship of .the tangs determines the condition of the connection between the foil and the connector. In FIGURES 5 and 6, the upper tangs fit into the lower perforation and vice versa, so that the tangs puncture through the foil and the outer section of the tangs sandwich the foil therebetween. In FIGURE 7, the bottom portion of the blade does not contain any perforation but rather acts as an anvil so that, after the portion with the tangs pierces the foil, the lower section acts as an anvil to deform the tangs. This closing action of the tangs, as well as the piercing action, binds the foil to the connector.

The device illustrated in FIGURE 8 is adapted to be joined to a conductor by means other than the ferrule-forming portion 12 shown in FIGURES 14. In FIGURE 8, a pair of tabs 130, 132 emanate from the blade 110, and a bolt 134 extends through aligned openings (not shown) in the tabs 130, 132. A standard ringtongue connector 136, crimped onto a conductor 138, may be employed to complete the electrical circuit.

' FIGURE 9 is similar to FIGURE 8, except that a pair of ferrule-forming members 240 and 242 are integral with the tab 232 extending from the connector 210. This illustrates'how multiple lead wires may be secured to one connector. The tab 230 may also have ferrule-forming portions secured thereto. FIGURES 8 and 9 illustrate the connector secured to the end of the foil and the conductors extending at right angles; however, it is apparent that they could be secured to the side of the foil, if so desired.

The embodiment described in FIGURE 10 is similar to FIGURE 7. The connector 310, in addition to having tangs 316, also has dimpled portions 322. The outer surface of each tang is substantially parallel to the axis of the aperture. Each dimple 322 is opposed to the one of the tangs 316 and is concave toward the tang. As each tang is pressed onto the foil 320 to perforate it, the curved surface of the dimple 322 forces it in a direction whereby it will firmly grasp the foil 320 (note FIG- 3 URE 11). A recessed portion 323 surrounds each dimple to insure penetration of the tangs prior to their being deformed. 7

It is apparent from the description that the action between the tangs and the foil, when the blade is flattened over against the foil and pressed down, causes the foil and the connector to become securely engaged without rupturing the foil. The ferrule-forming portion may be secured to a lead wire to make the connection. The effect is a good electrical connection between a conductor and an aluminum foil conductor. Changes in construction will occur to those skilled in the art and various apparently difierent modifications and embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. The matter set forth in the fore going description and accompanying drawings is offered by Way of illustration only. The actual scope of the invention is intended to be defined in the following claims when viewed in their proper perspective against the prior art.

I claim:

1. An electrical connection between an electrical connector and a verythin sheet metal member, said connection comprising: a blade member, said blade member folded about a center line to form opposed surfaces with the sheet metal member therebetween, a plurality of apertures in the opposed surfaces, a plurality of tangs surrounding each of said apertures, said apertures being disposed so that the apertures on one side of the center line do not mate with the apertures on the other side of the center line, and said sheet metal member being impaled upon the tangs, and portions of the sheet metal member anchored between the opposed'surfaces and the tangs, said tangs inserted into the surface of the sheet metal member to scrape the surface and to form an electrically conductive relationship between the tangs and the metal beneath the surface of the sheet metal member.

2. The device of claim 1 including a plurality of dimple-like members, each of which is located opposite one of the tangs when the connector is folded.

3. An electrical connection secured to a very thin sheet metal member, comprising: a connector having a blade portion, said blade portion having a plurality of apertures, said apertures disposed in two sections of the blade on each side of an intermediate center line, said blade folded about the center line with the sheet metal member therebetween, a plurality of tangs projecting from at least one side of the blade, said tangs disposed about the periphery of each of the apertures of the one side and said apertures in one section of the blade being offset with respect to the apertures in the other section of the blade, and said tangs being directed away from the aperture to grasp the sheet metal member in electrically conductive relationship between the tang and the adjacent opposed surface.

4. An electrical connection between a connector and a very thin sheet metal member, said connector including a blade portion, said blade folded about a center line to form a sandwich comprised of the opposed surfaces and the sheet metal member therebetween, a plurality of apertures in one of the opposed surfaces, a plurality of tangs surrounding each of said apertures, said tangs directed toward the other opposed surface and directed toward the cross-section of the sheet metal member, said sheet metal member being impaled upon the tangs and disposed between the opposed surfaces of the connector and the tangs so that said tangs scrape the surface of the sheet metal member to form an electrically conductive relationship between the tangs and the metal beneath the surface of the sheet metal member.

5. An electrical connector adapted to make a connection with a very thin sheet metal member, said connector including a blade portion, said blade folded about a center line to form opposed surfaces with the sheet metal member therebetween, a plurality of apertures in the opposed surfaces, a plurality of tangs surrounding each of said apertures, the point of each of said tangs being pyramidal, the outer surface of the tang being substan-' tially parallel to the axis of the aperture, said apertures on one side of the center line situated so that they do not mate with the apertures on the other side of the center line, said apertures located so that said sheet metal maybe impaled upon the tangs and disposed between the opposed surfaces of the connector and the tangs to scrape the surface of the sheet metal member to form an electrically conductive relationship between the tangs and the metal beneath the surface of the sheet metal member.

6. The device of claim 5 including a plurality of dimplelike members, each of which is located opposite one of the tangs when the connector is folded.

7. An electrical connector adapted to make a connection with a very thin sheet metal member, including a connector having a blade portion, said blade portion having a plurality of apertures, said apertures disposed in two sections of the blade separated by an intermediate center line, said blade folded about the center line and adapted to receive the sheet metal member therebetween, a plurality of tangs projecting from at least one side of the blade, said tangs having pyramidal points, said tangs disposed about the periphery of each of the apertures and said apertures being disposed in one section of the blade and offset with respect to the apertures in the other section of the blade, said tangs adapted to be bent away from the aperture to grasp the sheet metal member in electrically conductive relationship between the tang and the adjacent opposed surface.

8. An electrical connector for making a connection between a connector and a very thin sheet metal member, said connector including a blade portion, said blade folded about a center line to form opposed surfaces adapted to receive the sheet metal member therebetween, a plurality V of apertures in one of the opposed surfaces, a plurality of pyramidal tangs surrounding each of said apertures, said tangs directed toward the other opposed surface, said sheet metal member adapted to be impaled upon the tangs and disposed between the surface of the connector and the tangs so that said tangs scrape and pierce the surface of the sheet metal member to form an electrically conductive relationship between the tangs and the metal beneath the surface of the sheet metal member.

References Citedin the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,832,036 Maier Nov. 17, 1931 2,225,801 Schnoll Dec. 24, 1940 2,250,280 Starbird July 22, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS 578,487 Great Britain July 1, 1946 

8. AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR FOR MAKING A CONNECTION BETWEEN A CONNECTOR AND A VERY THIN SHEET METAL MEMBER, SAID CONNECTOR INCLUDING A BLADE PORTION, SAID BLADE FOLDED ABOUT A CENTER LINE TO FORM OPPOSED SURFACES ADAPTED TO RECEIVE THE SHEET METAL MEMBER THEREBETWEEN, A PLURALITY OF APERTURES IN ONE OF THE OPPOSED SURFACES, A PLURALITY OF PYRAMIDAL TANGS SURROUNDING EACH OF SAID APERTURES, SAID TANGS DIRECTED TOWARD THE OTHER OPPOSED SURFACE, SAID SHEET METAL MEMBER ADAPTED TO BE IMPALED UPON THE TANGS AND DISPOSED BETWEEN THE SURFACE OF THE CONNECTOR AND THE TANGS SO THAT SAID TANGS SCRAPE AND PIERCE THE SURFACE OF THE SHEET METAL MEMBER TO FORM AN ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE TANGS AND THE METAL BENEATH THE SURFACE OF THE SHEET METAL MEMBER. 